In many online computer games, there is a virtual world or some other imagined playing space where a player of the game controls one or more player characters (herein “characters,” “player characters,” or “PCs”). Player characters can be considered in-game representations of the controlling player. As used herein, the terms player, user, entity, neighbor, friend, and the like may refer to the in-game player character controlled by that player, user, entity, or friend, unless context suggests otherwise. A game display can display a representation of the player character. A game engine accepts inputs from the player, determines player character actions, decides outcomes of events, and presents the player with a game display illuminating game play. In some games, there are multiple players, wherein each player controls one or more player characters.
An electronic social networking system typically operates with one or more social networking servers providing interaction between users such that a user can specify other users of the social networking system as “friends.” A collection of users and the “friend” connections between users can form a social graph in such a social networking system that can be traversed to find second, third and more remote connections between users, much like a graph of nodes connected by edges can be traversed. Instead or in addition, an in-game social graph may be maintained.
Many online computer games are operated on an online social network. Such a network allows both users and other parties to interact with the computer games directly, whether to play the games or to retrieve game- or user-related information. Internet users may maintain one or more accounts with various service providers, including, for example, online game networking systems and online social networking systems. Online systems can typically be accessed using browser clients (e.g., Firefox, Chrome, Internet Explorer).
Game displays generated on client devices typically provide graphical user interfaces (GUIs) to receive user input and to display game related information, including social networking information.